Fireproof enclosure for building frames



Sept. 1-, 1942.

. A. HENDERSON FIRE PRUOF ENCLOSURE FOR BUILDING FRAMES- 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed July 1 INVENTOR Albertfz enderson L K p 1, 1942- A. HENDERSON FIREPRQOF ENCIJQSURE FOR BUILDING FRAMES Filed July 1, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m L1- 1 illlmll .2 H i 9.3 a 3 INVENTOR: Albert Henderson Patented Sept. 1, 1942 FIREPROOF ENCLOSURE FOR BUILDING FRAMES Albert Henderson, Pittsburgh, Pa... assignor to William P. Witherow, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application July 1, 1939, Serial No. 282,489

8 Claims.

This invention relates to building construction and in particular to flreproofing for the members composing a steel building frame.

This is in part a continuation of my co-pending application Ser. No. 232,330, now Patent 2,171,338.

Building codes require that steel building frames be fireproofed adequately and compliance with such requirements as heretofore effected, has been possible only by slow and costly construction methods. It is the principal object of my invention to provide flreproofing which can be made cheaply, erected at relatively low cost, and yet serve its intended purpose as efficiently as anything now known.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a series of precast slabs of channel section, composed of concrete or like fire-resistant material. The slabs of the series are so shaped and dimensioned as to be capable, when assembled in pairs, of completely enclosing the principal members of a building frame. The slabs are preferably made in standard lengths and sizes so they may be made at a central plant and placed on the job ready for erection with little or no special design or alteration. Other novel features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating such embodiment, with certain modifications. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial vertical section through a building frame showing the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing a portion of Fig. 1 to enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a fireproofing element;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a filler block;

Fig. 5 is a similar View of a different form of filler block;

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional View taken along the line VI-V1 of Fig. 1;

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing an outside column;

Fig. 8 is a partial horizontal section, with parts broken away, showing a modification;

Fig. 9 is a partial section taken along the line IXIX of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the upper ends of a pair of slabs adapted to enclose a column; and

Fig. 11' is a perspective view of a precast slab adapted to serve as a floor slab, spandrel, pilaster or the like.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, a multiple story building Ill comprises vertically spaced floors II and I2 supported on girders I3 secured to columns M. The girders and columns are shown more or less diagrammatically in the drawings since the details thereof and the con.- nections therebetween are well understood. The actual tread surface of the floors II and I2 is composed of a plurality of slabs I5 disposed side by side, extending between adjacent pairs of girders I3, and supported at their ends on said girders. Fig II illustrates one of the slabs l5. They are preferably precast from concrete or the like and are of substantially channel section having side flanges I6 and a web H. The flanges I'I have holes I8 spaced therealong. The flanges are notched or coped out at their ends as at I9, thereby adapting them to rest on the upper flanges of the girders I3. The slabs I5 are suitably reinforced and have grooves 20 along their edges to receive sealing material.

Grooved slabs 2I are adapted to be disposed in pairs on the lower flanges of the girders I3, as shown in Fig. l. The joint between slabs on opposite sides of the girders which is below the bottom thereof is preferably mortared. Filler blocks 22 are disposed on top of the slabs 2I and extend upwardly to the web of the slabs I5, thus completely enclosing the girders I3.

Fireproofing slabs 23 are disposed in pairs about the columns 14. The slabs 23 are similar in general to the slabs l5 and, when disposed in pairs about a column as shown in Fig. 1, with the edges of their flanges abutting, provide a complete fireproof enclosure for the column. The slabs 23 extend between adjacent floors in single lengths and the .joints between their flanges are preferably mortared. Brackets 24 secured to the girders I3 assist in holding the slabs 23 in position. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the webs of the slabs 23 are notched at their upper ends to receive the lower flanges of the girders l3.

The slabs 23 may be formed with holes 25 spaced therealong corresponding to the holes I8 of the slabs l5 or the flanges of the slabs 23 may be solid. Both types of slab are shown in Fig. 1. The holes 25 are closed by filler blocks 25 mortared in place, to complete the enclosure. Before being closed, the holes 25 afford access to the space within the enclosure wherein electrical conduits, water-pipes and the like, may be concealed. The filler blocks 26, furthermore, may be removed permitting conduits to be concealed beneath the surface of the floor slabs, without the necessity of a concrete fill as is now employed. As shown in Fig. 1, the conduit 21 extends upwardly along the column M within the enclosure defined by the slabs 23. It will be understood that the slabs l5 and 23 may conveniently be made in a suitable variety of sizes and lengths to conform to standard column and girder sizes and accepted spacings between adjacent girders and columns.

Fig. 1 illustrates an interior column and the floors adjacent thereto. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through an exterior column 28. umn 28 is enclosed by a pair of channels 23. Spandrel slabs 29 similar to the slabs l5 extend between adjacent columns, the notched-out corners I9 receiving the corners of the enclosure defined by the slabs 23. The reinforcing bars embedded in the slabs 29 project outwardly beyond the ends of the slab and the bars of alined slabs are welded together as at 30.

In a modified construction illustrated in Figs. 8 through 10, I employ channel section slabs to provide fireproof enclosures for both girders and columns. As shown in Fig. 8, girders 3| extend between adjacent columns 32. Channel section slabs 33 are disposed in pairs about the girders 3| with their flanges substantially abutting, thereby providing a complete fireproof enclosure for the girders. The slabs 33 extend in single length between the columns 32.

Channel section slabs 34 are disposed in pairs about the columns 32 with their flanges substantially abutting and extending in single length between adjacent floors. The joints between the flanges of the slabs 33 and 34 are preferably mortared. The slabs 34 have their upper ends shaped as shown in Fig. 10. The web of each slab is cut away as at 35 leaving the flanges extended upwardly about the slabs 33, as indicated at 36. The extreme ends of the flanges are rounded as at 3'! to conform to the shape of the undersurface of channel section floor slabs 38 similar to that shown at l5. Shoulders 39 formed on the upper ends 36 of the flanges of the slabs 34 receive the flanges of the slabs 38 which are in alinement with the columns 34. The webs of these floor slabs are cut out at the ends as shown at 39 in Fig. 8, to receive the columns 32.

It will be apparent that the slabs 33 and 34 thus provide a complete enclosure for the girders and beams 3| and 32. The column fireproofing slabs, furthermore, lock the girder fireproofing slabs in place and are held in position by the floor slabs, as shown in Fig. 9.

It will be evident from the foregoing description and explanation that the invention is characterized by numerous advantages and great utility. According to the invention, the fireproofing for a building frame can be erected as soon as the steel work is in place and the fireproofing slabs can conveniently be handled by the same crane which places the frame members. In this way, the Work of fireproofing the frame is quickly accomplished and the frame is protected almost from the time of its erection, I

instead of standing exposed for a considerable length of time as has been necessary in the past. The fireproofing members themselves can be made at low cost and are of standard shapes and sizes. The floor slabs, furthermore, cooper- The col-' ate directly with the fireproofing slabs, as explained herein, to provide a neat enclosure for all the frame members, the several members interlocking in such manner that they are practically self-sustaining.

Although I have illustrated and described but two forms of the invention, it will be understood that changes in the details of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Column fireproofing for steel-fram buildings comprising a pair of precast, channel-section plastic slabs disposed about a column with their flanges substantially abutting, at least one of said slabs having holes spaced along a flange thereof, and preformed closures mortared in said holes.

2. Fireproofing for a steel building frame including columns and girders extending therebetween, comprising a pair of channel-section, plastic slabs disposed about the girders with the slab flanges substantially abutting, and a pair of like slabs similarly disposed about the columns, the upper ends of the flanges of the column slabs extending upwardly beyond the girder slabs and externally thereof, the webs of the column slabs being cut out to clear the girder slabs.

3. Column fireproofing comprising a plurality of precast plastic members at least one of which is of channel section so that when disposed together they provide a complete enclosure for a column, said members having openings therein adapted to serve as hand holes, and preformed closures mortared into said openings.

4. Fireproofing for steel building frames comprising a pair of channel-section, plastic slabs disposed about a column and a pair of similar slabs disposed about a girder secured to the column, the column slabs having their flanges projecting upwardly beyond the girder slabs and serving to hold the girder slabs in assembled relation.

5. Fireproofing for building frames comprising a pair of precast, channel-section, plastic slabs disposed about a girder and similar slabs disposed about a column to which the girder is secured, and channel-section floor slabs resting on the girder fireproofing, the column fireproofing slabs having their upper ends notched and curved to fit between the flanges of one of the floor slabs whereby the latter holds the upper ends of the column slabs together.

6. Fireproofing for a building frame member comprising a pair of preformed plastic slabs of channel-section disposed about the member with their flanges substantially abutting, said slabs extending in single length from one floor to the next, and a channel-section floor member abutting endwise against said frame member, the webs of the slabs being cut away at their upper ends and their flanges rounded so as to fit between the flanges of said floor member.

'7. In a fireproofing for the columns of a multi-story steel building frame including spaced columns and girders extending between adjacent columns, said fireproofing comprising an enclosure for the portions of the columns between adjacent floors, composed of only two precast members of fire-resisting material such as concrete, at least one of which is channel-shaped in cross section, having a web and spaced flanges,-said members extending substantially the full length of said portions between floor and ceiling without transverse joints, and means carried by said frame and engaging said members adjacent their upper ends for holding them in place.

8. In a fireproofing for the columns of a multistory steel building frame including spaced columns and girders extending between adjacent columns, said fireproofing comprising an enclosure for the portions of the columns between adjacent floors, composed of only two precast members of fire-resisting material such as concrete, at least one of which is channel-shaped in cross section, having a web and spaced flanges, said members extending substantially the full length of said portions between floor and ceiling without transverse joints, and brackets secured to said girders engaging said members adjacent their upper ends to hold them in place.

ALBERT HENDERSON. 

